Kiszla: It’s time for Broncos to remove “Handle with Care” stickers from uniform of rookie QB Drew Lock By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post July 26, 2019

Wouldn’t Hall of Fame game be good spot to start rookie QB and see what he can do?

How long will it take for the Broncos to remove the “Handle with Care” stickers from the uniform of rookie quarterback Drew Lock?

Nobody, least of all his coach, seems to be in any real hurry for Lock to challenge veteran Joe Flacco for the starting job. And that’s fine. But am I the only one who thinks the Broncos have gone out of their way to handle Lock with kid gloves?

To my eyes and ears, coach Vic Fangio has been cautious with both his praise and reps for Lock at training camp. So when I asked Fangio what he’s looking for in young quarterbacks, who drink out the fountain of NFL knowledge through a fire hose, the coach calmly made a list of boxes to be checked.

“Don’t make the same mistake twice. Improvement, confidence, the ability to move on to the next play, no matter what happened the previous play,” Fangio said. “Be able to handle themselves in the huddle, be commanding out there and give the other 10 guys confidence that they know what they’re doing. That’s done two ways: 80 percent of it is performance, but 20 percent is how you carry yourself.”

Lock is a quarterback’s apprentice.

“He’s getting better. I think he’s getting better,” said Fangio, again cautious in his praise of Lock. “He’s not what I would call … He’s not a union NFL quarterback yet, but he’s improving.”

I’m a firm believer you learn to sing by singing, not by listening to music. And a QB grows up quickest by playing, not watching. Lock will develop on the coach’s time table, not mine. So how will we know when Fangio thinks Lock is ready?

Does a card come with union certification?

“Maybe,” Fangio said.

Well, here’s an idea: Let’s issue Lock a union card. And get on with it.

John Elway, who has shaken so many trees looking for a QB he has bark under his nails, would not have traded up in the draft for Lock if the Broncos didn’t see something special in him at the University of Missouri. So pardon my puzzlement by Lock being treated less like fellow second-round pick Dalton Risner and more like undrafted free agent Kelvin McKnight in terms of the team’s urgency to develop a young player with skills.

As a quarterback, Kevin Hogan is a journeyman in training. He is 26 years old. He has played in eight NFL games. He did nothing spectacular in limited duty with Cleveland before arriving in Colorado. He figures to pull a paycheck in this league for more years than the average pro football player. All well and good. Nothing wrong with that.

But it seems to me the bonus date on Denver’s preseason schedule, when the Broncos head to Canton, Ohio, for the Hall of Fame game, would be the ideal time to give Lock a start and see what he can do at this point of his young career. If Lock isn’t good enough right now to take more snaps than Hogan, then can we reasonably expect him to be NFL-ready anytime during his rookie season? Redshirts are for QBs who don’t have a clue, not a guy capable of being the future face of the franchise.

How good does Lock look in a Broncos uniform? Well, maybe the best that can be said is he’s nothing like Paxton Lynch.

During his stop in Denver, Lynch seemed to be along for the ride in the family van to Disneyland. While Lock makes his share of rookie mistakes, there’s a swagger to him that indicates he takes great pleasure in beating anyone or anything in his way.

Great players do not wait patiently for their window of opportunity. Greatness is locked up behind a door. It’s a door that must be kicked in.

Different year, increased — and important — role for Broncos LB Josey Jewell By Ryan O’Halloran The Denver Post July 26, 2019

The Broncos have yet to play a preseason game and this is already a night-and-day difference training camp for inside linebacker Josey Jewell.

Last year: A rookie backup behind veteran Brandon Marshall. … A base-package player when he was on the field. … A core special teams player.

This year: A starter now that Marshall is in Oakland. … An every-down player in coach Vic Fangio’s defense. … A spectator during special teams practice drills.

Playing for a head coach in Vic Fangio who will call the defensive plays and is a renowned developer of linebackers, Jewell has a golden opportunity.

“He’s definitely putting some time into us and just looking at us,” Jewell said. “He’s almost like a second coach for (us) — to just really be able to pick up (things in) our game and tell us what we need to work on and what we’re doing good and just really perfect each part of our game. It’s great.”

The Broncos’ linebackers need to be great in Fangio’s system.

So far in training camp, the main sub-package personnel has been nickel, which means two inside linebackers stay on the field. That will place additional pass-coverage responsibilities — man and zone — on Jewell’s plate.

“He’s been good,” Fangio said. “Josey’s been on top of his stuff from Day One.”

Jewell played 459 of 1,077 defensive snaps (42.6 percent) last year, starting nine of his 16 games. He was a special teams player only until Marshall’s knee tendonitis shelved him. When Marshall returned, Jewell kept the starting base-package spot and Marshall played in dime (six defensive backs) personnel.

In the year of the NFL Rookie Linebacker (five 100-tackle players), Jewell had 51 stops and only three missed tackles, proving to be a solid run-defense performer. He had at least five tackles in five of the Broncos’ last seven games.

The Broncos passed on Michigan’s Devin Bush with the 10th overall pick and every other inside linebacker on the draft board. If Jewell and fellow starter Todd Davis needed a vote of confidence, that was it.

A hallmark of Fangio’s defense has been stellar linebacker play, all the way back to New Orleans, when he had Pat Swilling, Sam Mills and Rickey Jackson plus San Francisco (Patrick Willis) and Chicago (Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan).

“I love this playbook,” Jewell said. “This defense allows you to have some wiggle room — if you see something coming, go bite on that; if you see something else, play off your instincts. I think (Fangio) is a really big guy with instincts. Our defense relies on that.

“We saw some 49ers’ film from a while ago and this past year’s Chicago film, which really related his defense and his playbook. And there were examples of them running it well.”

The Broncos will play well at outside linebacker with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. But inside linebacker has some questions.

Davis (calf) hasn’t practiced since July 19 and is expected to miss another 2-3 weeks. That has left Jewell to play with a revolving door of candidates: Alexander Johnson lined up next to him on Thursday. Also seeing time have been rookie Josh Watson and veteran Joe Jones.

Those backups have been leaning on Jewell to confirm where to line up, what the coverage is and how to defend a run play.

“I think every day, although he’s been pretty sharp, he learns something new, a thing or two that’s new to him or an adjustment or a route that he hadn’t seen yet and it’s good for him,” Fangio said. “He’s doing very well.”

Broncos training camp rewind, Day 7: Vic Fangio not happy about errant shotgun snaps By Ryan O’Halloran The Denver Post July 26, 2019

Player Attendance Did not practice: LB Todd Davis (calf, sixth consecutive missed practice), WR River Cracraft (oblique, fifth consecutive), TE Jake Butt (knee, fourth consecutive) and WR DeaSean Hamilton (hamstring, first).

On Hamilton, coach Vic Fangio said: “Not as bad as it could have been. He woke up feeling better (Thursday). Encouraged that it will be short instead of long but we know how those hamstrings go.”

Returned to practice WR Juwann Winfree (calf, missed two practices).

New injuries OL Jake Rodgers (calf) walked off the field under his own power early in practice.

TE Bug Howard (ankle) was injured during a 7-on-7 play in the end zone. He was carted to the locker room and did not put any pressure on his left leg. “We think it’s just a sprain at this point,” coach Vic Fangio said.

Top play On a half roll-out to the right, QB Joe Flacco set his feet and threw long to the left where WR Courtland Sutton made the catch after getting a step on CB Isaac Yiadom.

Thumbs up WR Tim Patrick. Caught four passes in 11-on-11 and looks effective out-muscling defenders on quick slant routes.

QB Brett Rypien. The fourth passer on the depth chart, he played a camp-high 13 snaps of 11-on-11.

RB Phillip Lindsay. Lined up at receiver, he ran a quick slant route against CB Bryce Callahan and caught the pass. Operating Lindsay from a receiver spot could be a productive wrinkle in the game plan.

Thumbs down C Connor McGovern. Two poor shotgun snaps in which QB Joe Flacco had no chance to save the play. “I’ve noticed it,” coach Vic Fangio said. “There are too many right now and obviously that’s something that has to be cleaned up. Some of those we’ve had this camp have been the quarterback’s fault – – ball was right there, they took their eyes off it too quick and they’re not catching it. (Snapping) is the most basic fundamental there is. If we can’t do that, it doesn’t matter what play we call. Obviously, it has to be perfect soon.”

WR Courtland Sutton. Semi-kidding, we list Sutton because the Broncos ran their first Hall Mary drill of the year and Sutton, with no defenders draped on him, dropped Flacco’s pass. Odds and ends The Broncos ran a camp-high 88 snaps of 11-on-11. They had one period of 7-on-7 (15 snaps).

Quarterback snaps (11-on-11): Joe Flacco 34, Kevin Hogan 18, Drew Lock 23 and Brett Rypien 13. Quarterback snaps (7-on-7): Flacco six, Hogan six, Lock three and Rypien none.

CB Horace Richardson intercepted Hogan in 7-on-7 and S Trey Johnson picked off Lock in 11-on-11. ILB Joe Jones dropped an interception (Lock).

The Broncos had their first morning-after-an-afternoon practice of camp. “I thought it was good,” coach Vic Fangio said. “I thought our practice (Thursday) was actually better than (Wednesday).”

There were three penalties in three series during the initial 11-on-11 period. The defense jumped off-side against Flacco.

To start the second period of 11-on-11, the play didn’t happen because of a poor snap. CB Bryce Callahan broke up a pass intended for WR Brendan Langley.

Some juggling with the second- and third-team offensive lines. RT Elijah Wilkinson played some left tackle. RG Don Barclay played some left guard and center. Rookie John Leglue played right tackle and left guard. Jake Brendel took some first-team snaps at right guard late in practice when Ron Leary got a breather.

In the third period of 11-on-11, Rypien got his shot against the No. 1 defense. He was 1-of-4 passing (completion to TE Jeff Heuerman).

Flacco’s segment started with a half roll to the right and then a deep throw back to the left. WR Courtland Sutton had a step on CB De’Vante Bausby but the throw was just slightly long.

Fangio on the secondary’s play in camp: “Overall, I think our secondary has been on top of stuff.”

The Broncos concentrated on inside run game early in 11-on-11 work. Asked about that, Fangio shifted toward some overall run-game talk. “I want to move the ball, get first downs and score points,” he said. “I’m not picky on how we do that. But there does come a point where you need to run the ball and if you are patient with it, big plays can come off of that in the passing game. We’ve done a good job of marrying our running game and play-action game together and we’re looking to hit some big plays off of that. Saying that, you want to avoid negative runs. Second-and-8 is better than second-and-12.”

Fangio said Saturday’s practice at Broncos Stadium at Mile High will be similar to the other camp workouts. “There will be no live action,” he said.

Friday’s practice 9:15-noon (open to fans).

For Broncos offense to return to late-90s glory, it will need late-90s run game By Mike Kliss KUSA July 26, 2019

Running the ball would set up Flacco's passing and complement Fangio defense.

There are two parts to the Broncos’ new Scangarello offense.

We tend to focus on Joe Flacco. But the quarterback doesn’t go until the running game moves first.

Plus you’ve got a head coach who comes from a heavy defensive background. Better believe Broncos head coach Vic Fangio likes it when his team’s offense is controlling the ball.

“I want to move the ball, get first downs and score points and I'm not picky on how we do that,’’ Fangio said. “But there does come a point where you've got to be able to run the ball. If you can run the ball and you are patient with it, big plays can come off of that in your passing game.

“I think we've done a good job of marrying our running game and play-action game together and we're looking to hit some big plays off of that.’’

Remember back when John Elway was the Broncos quarterback? And then how good it was for the Broncos when it was Elway the QB and Terrell Davis was his running back? That’s always the goal for the Broncos.

Especially now with the offense directed by first-year offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello just a degree or two removed from the Broncos’ West Coast offense of the late-1990s.

So far in camp, the Broncos have been pounding bigger back Royce Freeman in there, first. And then Phillip Lindsay darts, hops and speeds his way through.

Nothing unusual with this power and speed combo.

But if Flacco is going to hold up the passing game, the Broncos will first need Lindsay, Freeman and the zone blocking system to loosen ‘em up.

Broncos notes: Injuries give kid receivers a chance to catch passes from Flacco By Mike Kliss KUSA July 26, 2019

Connor McGovern vows to fix bad shotgun snaps.

It was a couple days after the Broncos’ finished up minicamp, OTAs and their offseason program.

While the veterans dispersed, the rookies were held back for more meetings, symposiums and seminars. As part of my media presentation to the Broncos’ rookies, I conducted a mock interview with Kelvin McKnight, a likable undrafted receiver from Samford.

Have you caught any passes from Joe Flacco?

“I have caught passes from Joe Flacco … routes on air,’’ McKnight said with a humble smile.

His fellow rookies in the room cracked up laughing about that.

McKnight, though, is no joke. With DaeSean Hamilton down with a hamstring injury, McKnight has been filling in at slot receiver with the first-team offense the past two days. Which mean, yes, McKnight has caught a few from Flacco – and not just from the receiver line during early practice warmup, but during the most serious, 11-on-11 team periods.

“It’s fun going out there with Joe,’’ McKnight said. “You’ve got to be out there on your stuff. I’m trying to be on point. Knowing my assignments is the big thing and I’m just trying to go out there and make plays.’’

The Broncos have three undrafted rookies who have received some first-team reps in camp so far: McKnight, receiver Trinity Benson and inside linebacker Josh Watson.

McKnight is listed at 5-foot-8, 186 pounds and came from a small school, which likely explains why he wasn’t drafted. But he had 100 catches as a senior and a combined 185 receptions, 2,609 yards and 21 touchdowns his last two seasons.

He has so far impressed the Broncos’ front office and coaching staff with his sudden bursts off cuts and his sure hands.

"The wide receiver position has been hit a little bit with the injury bug, so these younger guys are getting opportunities and sometimes that’s how you find somebody," said head coach Vic Fangio.

Snap to it

From the first day of training camp, there’s been an issue with errant shotgun snaps, and not just from No. 1 center Connor McGovern.

"I've noticed it,’’ Fangio said. “There are too many right now and obviously that's something that's got to get cleaned up.

“Some of those we've had have been the quarterback's fault. Ball's right there and they're taking their eyes off it too quickly and they're not catching it. This hasn't all been the center's fault, but you're right. It's the most basic fundamental there is. If we can't get that it doesn't matter what play we called so that obviously has to be perfect soon."

For his part, McGovern said he’ll get the problem rectified.

“I’ve maybe had one (bad snap) a day, today I had two or three,’’ McGovern said. “It’s Day 8 or 9 of training camp, it’s something that’s easily fixable. It’s something I know I can fix. I know how to fix it so I’ll fix it.’’

Remember, McGovern was always an offensive tackle or guard – never a center – until Matt Paradis went down in game 9 last year.

“For me, there’s times I’m looking at the defense and my hips aren’t where they should be when I snap the ball,’’ McGovern said. “I have to get my hips up. It’s something that’s not muscle memory yet. I know how to get my hips up. I just have to do it and make it muscle memory before week 1.’’

Injury Bug

One of the most serious-looking injuries occurred Thursday during a 7-on-7 session when backup tight end Bug Howard. One of Mitch Trubisky’s favorite receivers in college rolled his left ankle as he came down while trying to catch a pass in the end zone.

Howard had to be carted off the field. X-rays were negative so there’s no break, but he was to get an MRI to determine the degree of his sprain.

Backup offensive tackle Jake Rodgers suffered a calf strain during a blocking drill.

Analyze this

Fangio is often described as “old school” but he’s not averse to the modern nuances of the game. He says he does confer with Mitch Tanney, the Broncos’ director of football analytics.

"It helps. It's part of the equation,’’ Fangio said. “I like analytics. I look at everything he does. It does not control me, though. Football is a different game. Analytics in baseball is super valuable because you’re only defending one person. You're defending the batter. Here we have to defend five eligible, six if you count the quarterback.’’

Why Drew Lock spent his days ahead of training camp on a high school field in Kansas By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic July 26, 2019

Fatigued but wide-eyed, Drew Lock trotted out from the locker room back onto the Broncos practice field for his first round of questioning as a signed NFL player. The start to his pro career had just begun in earnest, along with a trying transition to a new game, new system and role.

Some three months had come and gone as Lock and his representatives haggled with the team over specifics in his contract, threatening to delay his start to training camp and his battle for the backup job.

Crisis was averted at the 11th hour when Lock called off any further negotiations. His priority, he would say, was to be on the field with his new teammates. So the morning of July 18, he put pen to paper, smiled for the cameras, slipped on his helmet and headed out to the field for his first training camp practice as the Broncos’ star in waiting.

Lock is not the only fresh-faced quarterback to come through Dove Valley eager to exceed already lofty expectations. The Broncos legacy and greatest successes have sat on the shoulders of two of the game’s finest quarterbacks, John Elway and Peyton Manning, and patience to find the next star has typically been short-lived, if existent at all.

Lock, a second-round pick for whom the Broncos traded up to select in the 2019 draft, is the latest to test his might in Denver’s quarterback pressure-cooker, hoping to succeed Manning while working for Elway, who watches every practice and every throw from behind the line of scrimmage.

But the approach with Lock seems to have a different feel, perhaps because of swings and misses with other young quarterbacks who struggled to morph into the starter they sorely needed. Or because of the new coaching staff’s emphasis on fundamentals and developing a young core to have for years to come.

When Lock was drafted in late April, Elway reset expectations immediately. Joe Flacco is the starter, Elway reminded. Lock will need time and will be afforded that time.

“With what we’re going to do offensively, he’s going to have a lot of work to do,” Elway said. “I think technique is always a big thing. We talk about accuracy, and accuracy a lot of times comes down to technique and throwing on rhythm. We believe he has a ton of talent, but we also believe he has a lot left to work on. It’s nice to be able to have a coach that’s worked with a stable of abilities that he does have.”

But the onus has always been primarily on Lock, to absorb the lessons of Flacco, to take to offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello’s teachings and to simply put in the work to make the oft-underestimated transition from a college spread offense to the Broncos’ play-action system.

So far, the extra lengths have been met in stride. But the process is long.

Between the draft and rookie minicamp, Lock worked with his longtime quarterbacks coach Justin Hoover. When OTAs ended, Lock was again with Hoover, at a high school in Kansas to hone his mechanics and footwork.

Four days a week for about three weeks, the two spent hours watching video or on the field at Shawnee Mission East High, where Hoover is the head football coach. The goal: establish a foundation with the footwork and terminology and continually build up to create a comfort and confidence in the system.

“It seems simple, but it’s actually really complicated, especially with such a great guy to watch and learn from in Flacco, the difference is Flacco stands in the shotgun and his stance is right foot forward and the coaches want the young guys to go left foot forward,” Hoover said. “So when you’re watching this, this former Super Bowl-winning quarterback do it in practice, you can’t actually watch and study his footwork because everything is off because his right foot is forward and for Drew, his left foot is forward.

“So we really spent a lot of time, and in fact the first couple of days that he was home, we went for three hours in those first two days before we even put a ball in the air. It was all about footwork.”

Among the bigger adjustments a quarterback accustomed to the spread offense in college has to make in the NFL is with his feet, and moving out from under center. For some, it takes an offseason to learn. For some, it can take years. For others, it never really comes.

An 11-year veteran who has already played in the system, like Flacco, has footwork that has long worked for him, and the Broncos certainly aren’t going to tinker with it. It’s seamless and smooth and Flacco likely gives it zero thought when dropping back.

For younger quarterbacks, however, an extra step is often required to open their hips, hit their marks, and drop deep enough without ending up in the direct path of an outside linebacker.

“I can think back to OTAs where instead of thinking about the play going on I was thinking about, ‘This worked for me this time footwork-wise, I’m going to try this one and try to figure it out during OTAs,’” Lock said. “I think that’s why going back on that break was such a big deal working with my quarterback coach back home. It was big for me to be able to have a little break and kind of figure out what it is I wanted to do coming into this camp.”

Lock’s progress is noticeable but still far from where he needs it to be — in part because it’s inconsistent and in part because it’s only one aspect of what can be an overwhelming transition.

The feet are the foundation. Then it’s the progressions, the reads, the terminology that can often result in 13-word plays, the ability to confidently call plays in a huddle and the adjustment to a locker room that features players a decade older.

“The difference in the NFL right now for him is when he was in college, every rep that he took was getting coached and he got a little longer leash because he was the returning starter. He had a lot of equity built up,” Hoover said. “When you get to the NFL and you’re a rookie and there’s a starter already in place, day by day you’re trying to build that same equity but it takes longer in that league.

“There’s a huge culture shock when you get into how fast and how different things are at the NFL level. The transition I think is underestimated.” Acquiring the complete package takes time, and unlike 2016 when they needed a starter immediately, the Broncos have time with Flacco at the helm.

“His college offense really had no carryover to pro offenses and he was under duress a lot of times at his college, so a lot of his plays he was running around,” first-year Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Lock. “I don’t think he’s far along being a ready NFL quarterback as he could have been. That’s what I mean when he’s got to get ready. He’s not a quarterback yet. He’s a hard-throwing pitcher that doesn’t know how to pitch yet, so the faster he gets that, the better off he’ll be and we’ll be.”

To help him along, Lock went home to Missouri armed with tape of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who had Kyle Shanahan as his offensive coordinator, and the 49ers’ quarterbacks who played for Shanahan and Scangarello the past two seasons.

The first week with Hoover was developed to film and studying the playbook. Then the focus shifted to the quick game throws and the accompanying footwork. Then they moved on to the intermediate throws and the required footwork. Then play-action and throws on the move, when he would likely be turning to his third or fourth option.

“So really being able to compartmentalize those and given him an ability to get really comfortable with one before moving on to each stage,” Hoover said.

By the time Lock returned to Colorado training camp, Hoover said the most noticeable progress was mentally. The confidence that so often can be dinged with a rookie’s struggles seemed to improve as his footwork did. With each repetition came some clarity in the approach — why a certain route fits, why a certain footwork times up in a play.

“That was the biggest concern of Drew’s. ‘When I feel like I’m on time, I’m actually a little bit late,’” Hoover said. “It wouldn’t have been late in college football. It’s just that natural transition and progression to the next level. Early in college is actually on time or late in the NFL. So everything was designed to speed it up and get him balanced and loaded, ready to throw sooner to where he could make a quicker decision.”

Lock’s first seven days in training camp have been a mixed bag, filled with both the impressive deep throws and jumbled footwork typical of player still learning the system. His arms sometimes drop when his feet drop back, his point of release changes often, and passes are picked off or deflected.

Scangarello’s approach has been to let Lock, as well as fellow backups Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien, make the mistakes — just not twice. Learn from the failures or from what didn’t work on a certain play, correct it and retain it. The bounce-back is arguably more important than the mistake.

Part of Lock’s appeal to the Broncos, who had him as their top quarterback on their draft board, was his 46 starts at Missouri.

But his transformation following a trying freshman season offered a closer look at Lock’s makeup.

Lock was thrown into the fire earlier than expected, and three consecutive wins as Missouri’s starter were followed by seven losses in the final nine games of the season. His completion percentage was a mere 49 percent and his eight interceptions doubled his touchdowns.

“I mean, it was a bad year,” his father, Andy Lock, said. “And the farther you get away from it, the more you look back on it and the more you say, ‘That was really rough.’

“Fast forward two years to his junior year and I don’t think a lot of people realize this, but Drew led the nation in touchdown passes (44), one ahead of Baker Mayfield. He led the country as a junior and was that bad as a freshman. In 24 months he transformed himself, and that just shows you how hard of a worker he is and how quickly he understood how to become the player he needed to be.”

The Broncos need Lock to make a similar transformation at a higher level and in a more complex system.

It may take months. It may take a year. Maybe two.

“He’ll earn his stripes based on his competitiveness and his work ethic and the amount of time he puts into it,” Hoover said. “In my opinion, he’s going to have a long career in the NFL based on how much time he puts into it. There’s no question that from a skill-set standpoint he’s talented. His separation will be in the process and the ability to fall in love with the work. There’s no question in my mind he has those qualities and the competitiveness that will continue to push him forward.”

Broncos secondary looks first in dominance in training camp By Troy Renck KMGH July 26, 2019

Broncos defensive backs preying on offense

By and large, sequels stink. They bring expectations and hollow results. However, the latest version of the No Fly Zone boasts promise. Through the first seven training camp practices, the secondary has made life miserable for the Broncos receivers. It prompted my question to All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris Jr.: Is the defense this good or benefiting from going against a clumsy offense?

"It's us," Harris Jr. "Any offense would struggle against us."

Harris ascended to fame because of his ability and endless confidence. He has played under multiple coordinators, reached the zenith in Super Bowl 50 and the nadir of an eight-game losing streak in 2017. He doesn't mince words. A week into practice, he remains bullish on the secondary.

"We are going to be straight. It's going to be good," Harris said. "You see us out there making plays."

It's impossible to miss. Safety Justin Simmons has picked off three passes, and been in the middle of several other breakups. Kareem Jackson, working exclusively at safety the first two weeks, is meshing with Simmons and Will Parks, and Bryce Callahan and Isaac Yiadom are complementing Harris' skillset in coverage. This group boasts more depth than at any point last season. Couple that with a new scheme -- hey, how good can Broncos be if they don't play press man 90 percent of the time? -- and it fuels optimism.

"This defense allows us to give the quarterback a lot of different looks. A lot of times it's trying to confuse the guy who gets paid the most on the field," Simmons said. "Anytime you can disguise what you are in, or make them think you are trying to hide something, it can help. It's all about making the quarterback make tough decisions."

Fangio creates problems with his schemes. He staged a clinic against the Rams last season, providing a blueprint for the Patriots' Super Bowl victory.

It allows players to read and react, athleticism taking over because of proper positioning. Fangio’s last Bears defense led the NFL with 36 takeaways. He demands an opportunistic group. And his secondary creates mismatches with Jackson playing safety and corner and Callahan and Harris capable of blanketing receivers in the slot or on the outside. Combine that with the depth at safety with Parks, and it's easy to see why Broncos defensive backs' smiles can't be removed with sandpaper.

"It creates a lot of options for us as a defense. It almost gets to a point where the offense has to kind of game plan for us in terms of us knowing where guys are going to be. If you've got three guys that can play in the slot, corner or safety, that can definitely help us out," Jackson said. "With that, it makes things exciting for us as defenders. Knowing that we're going into a game, opposing offenses may not know where guys are going to be until that actual first play of the game. Also, the depth that we can have, it's a long season and you never know what can happen. To have pieces that we can move around and step in if things ever happen, that is definitely a great thing for us as well.”

Footnotes Former Wyoming standout tight end Austin Fort continues to take advantage of additional reps with Jake Butt sidelined with a knee issue. Fangio, however, pumped the brakes on overreacting to how young players are performing right now. "Practices are quizzes. The games are the real test," Fangio said. ... Receiver Emmanuel Sanders continues to progress in his recovery from Achilles surgery. The offense only looks right when he's on the field. "I am coming. I am getting there," Sanders said. .... One of the day's highlights? Sanders won a game of rock-paper-scissors against a German TV anchor. ... Receiver DaeSean Hamilton (hamstring) did not practice, but is close to returning. ... Tight end Bug Howard left the field on a cart after suffering an ankle injury. ... The Broncos' best offensive play in this camp: Joe Flacco throwing to running back Phillip Lindsay against linebackers or on checkdowns. .... Fangio is not boxing himself in on the offense he wants. But in an ideal world, the Broncos will run the ball well with Lindsay and Royce Freeman, opening up play action and deep routes for Flacco.

Broncos’ Sutton forgoes the spectacular for the steady By Arnie Stapleton The Associated Press July 26, 2019

Courtland Sutton hasn’t been the star of training camp like he was last year with a daily diet of highlight reel catches on deep fade routes, and the Denver Broncos are glad about that.

Sutton is working on becoming an all-around receiving threat in Rich Scangarello’s new offense, so he’s running all the intermediate routes, not just the deep posts where he’d leap over DBs for impressive catches.

“This offseason that was one big thing I wanted to work on was being able to run every route on the route tree,” Sutton said, adding he doesn’t want to “just be a guy that’s known for going deep on the outside.

“That’s still something I have in my arsenal, but I want to be able to run all those routes so that it can set up those big-shot plays.”

So, the spectacular has been replaced by the steady this summer.

Sutton said coach Vic Fangio “is attacking practice in a different way. A lot of those 50-50 balls you all saw came in one-on-ones. Right now, Coach knows that’s something that I have in my arsenal. It’s like, ‘Why keep feeding that horse? Add something to the game, don’t just be a one-trick pony.’”

Sutton is fine with the extra workload and the reduction in oohs and ahhs from the crowd because he’s certain it will pay dividends this season.

“Being able to run more routes, that’s the biggest thing. Being able to run more routes and not just being a guy where they are like, ‘Oh, 14 is in, he’s able to go deep,’” Sutton said. “You probably won’t hear too many DBs saying that. I can get in and out of any route and that’s one thing I’m just really trying to incorporate into my game.”

Receivers coach Zach Azzanni has been riding Sutton to disguise his intentions because film from his rookie season showed he sometimes tipped off what was coming.

Safety Justin Simmons said he can testify to Sutton’s growth this year.

“It’s true. He’s running digs, he’s running outs, he’s running comebacks,” Sutton said. “He’s still running his deep routes, but last year it just felt like fade after fade after fade and he just kept snagging them down.

“It’s going to be great for us.”

Sutton hasn’t been immune to the drops that have plagued Denver’s young receiving corps this summer as veteran Emmanuel Sanders slowly works his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Last week, Fangio said he’s more of a swift kick kind of guy, not a pat-’em-on-the-back sort when it comes to encouraging corrections from his players.

“I kind of ride him and tease him a little bit,” Fangio said. “So, I’ll take advantage of that.”

Fangio said, however, that he didn’t get the chance to razz Sutton.

“He was ducking me yesterday a little bit,” Fangio said. “I relied on you guys to get the word to him, the little teasing.”

That’s one message Sutton didn’t need to hear.

“As soon as it hits our hands and hits the ground, we know that it is unacceptable,” Sutton said. “We don’t want to drop it. It’s not like we go out there like, ‘I’m going to drop this pass.’ So, when we hear everybody saying, ‘Oh, that’s unacceptable,’ we already know that. Thank you for reminding us.”

NFL, AP and NFL Films team up for league's 100 greatest By Staff The Associated Press July 26, 2019

The NFL, in conjunction with The Associated Press and NFL Films, will present season-long programming to celebrate the league's 100th season.

Among the series will be The NFL 100 Greatest, for which the AP conducted media polls on five topics: plays, characters, games, game changers and teams. A panel of nationwide media and football officials participated in the polls.

That series features more than 400 interviews with celebrities, current NFL stars and legends that will air across 20 one-hour episodes, with four episodes dedicated to each topic.

The league also will determine its all-century team, with voting conducted by an NFL-commissioned panel.

"The NFL's 100th season is the type of once-in-a-lifetime event that NFL Films lives for," said NFL Films senior vice president Ross Ketover. "We can't wait to unveil these two series, and hope that fans love them as much as we do."

Both The NFL's all-time team and NFL 100 Greatest series serve as the flagship NFL 100 programs made available on NFL Network the league's digital platforms. Premiere dates and details will be announced at a later date.

Phillip Lindsay voted No. 68 on NFL Top 100 list By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2019

Another member of the Broncos’ 2018 rookie class has found a spot on the NFL Top 100.

Phillip Lindsay came in at No. 68 on the list, the NFL announced Thursday.

Lindsay joins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb as the two Broncos on the list thus far. Chubb earned the No. 82 spot in this year’s rankings.

“I’m shocked,” Lindsay said Thursday. “I was proud that Chubb [made it]. Chubb deserved it. I guess I didn’t really think about it. I’ve seen [the show] a couple times, but it’s an honor, because that means players around [the NFL] believe in you. I’ve built a lot of bonds with these players from other teams. These are great dudes and great men that you get to hang out with, get to pick their brains and see how they live. I appreciate that and it’s an exciting feeling.”

Lindsay’s success story, though, was far more unlikely than Chubb’s. The running back went undrafted out of Colorado and joined the Broncos shortly after the draft. From there, he started to make a name for himself.

The 5-foot-8, 190-pound player eventually earned his way into the starting lineup as he rushed for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie.

He also added 35 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown.

Though he came up just short of the all-time rushing record for an undrafted rookie, he did become the first undrafted offensive player to be selected to the Pro Bowl in his first season.

Lindsay also made the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-AFC team, was nominated six times for NFL rookie of the week — winning once — and set a Broncos record for rushing yards by an undrafted rookie.

The Colorado product suffered a season-ending wrist injury in a Week 16 game against the Raiders, but he has not had any limitations through the first seven practices of training camp.

The remaining 60 players on the list will be revealed over the course of the next week.

Broncos Day 7 Camp report: Offense gets into rhythm By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2019

In the first six days of practice, the offense seemed to be out of sync.

Sometimes, a frenetic pass rush discombobulated the offense. At others -- particularly in Monday's practice -- the wounds were self-inflicted; that session was marred by drops and bad routes.

Thursday's practice was not perfect for the offense. But with an emphasis on controlled, short-to- intermediate passes to running backs and tight ends and quick slants to the wide receivers, the offense finally got into a rhythm it rarely located during the first week of training camp.

At one point, Flacco targeted running backs or tight ends on five consecutive plays. That paid dividends.

"We eliminated some of the drops we were having the other day," tight end Austin Fort said. "[We're] just being crisp, man. Getting in and out of the huddle, getting lined up and kind of knowing where we're going, taking those mental errors out of it was probably the biggest thing."

The offense was also resilient. One example came during a period that saw a bad snap and a dropped Joe Flacco attempt to Brendan Langley.

Facing third-and-8 at its 38-yard line, Flacco fired a perfect strike to Courtland Sutton for a 17-yard gain. Flacco began his throwing motion a split-second before Sutton cut toward the sideline, and the pass arrived in perfect time to move the chains.

Flacco and Fort also collaborated on a 50-yard touchdown that saw Flacco execute a perfect play-action fake before hitting Fort, who had worked past Josey Jewell 17 yards downfield outside the left numbers. Fort rambled the rest of the way for the score.

"I think we're getting better technically, too," Fort said.

Another area that saw the offense flourish was in the red zone, both in seven-on-seven and team periods.

The No. 2 offense fared well in a red-zone period late in practice, with touchdowns on back-to-back snaps. On the first, from the 15-yard line, Hogan dumped off to Fort in the right flat, and he navigated through the defense, using a downfield block from offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson on cornerback De'Vante Bausby to reach the goal line.

On the next play, Hogan hit rookie wide receiver Trinity Benson on a fade route in the back right corner of the end zone for a 10-yard score.

"I thought we did a great job," tight end Troy Fumagalli said. "There's a lot of different scenarios today, and I thought we did a good job executing. The red zone was better, things like that. It's stuff that takes time, but we're headed in the right direction."

SOME LINGERING ISSUES ... One problem remains the prevalence of pre-snap penalties. Once again, the offense was called for multiple false starts during a practice.

As the Broncos count down to their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons next Thursday, Fumagalli said he wants to see the offense become "more consistent." From his perspective, that means cutting down the self-inflicted errors.

"Too many pre-snap penalties still, so we'd like to clean that up, and just be crisp," Fumagalli said. "I think [for] the first [preseason game], let's all get on the same page and be crisp."

Another issue is errant snaps, which becomes a glaring problem in the shotgun formation. The Broncos had a pair of bad snaps Thursday.

“I’ve noticed it. There are too many right now and obviously that’s something that’s got to get cleaned up," Head Coach Vic Fangio said. "Years ago when the NFL teams first went to shotgun, I always used to say there’s going to be eight to 10 bad plays a year on offense just because of that. What’s happened is there is not that many because the kids are playing high school football in the gun. Their colleges are playing it in the gun. They’re more ready for it, but it still can be a problem.

"Some of those we’ve had [during training camp] have been the quarterback’s fault. [The] ball is right there and they’re taking their eyes off it too quick and they’re not catching it. This hasn’t all been the center’s fault, but you’re right. It’s the most basic fundamental there is. If we can’t get that, it doesn’t matter what play we called, so that obviously that has to get perfect soon."

PRACTICE NOTES ... Right guard Leary continues to see his workload increase, although he is not yet up to speed to take all of the team-period repetitions in a practice as he completes his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon. Veteran Jake Brendel worked at right guard late in practice Thursday.

"I'm almost there. I mean, I'm not 100 percent yet, but it's getting there," Leary said. "It's all a process. Three hundred pounds, coming back from an Achilles [tear], it's a day-to-day thing, too."

Leary said that he has the Week 1 game against Oakland as his target for being back to 100 percent.

... Quarterback Brett Rypien saw some work with the No. 2 offense against the No. 1 defense for the second time so far at training camp. But his most impressive throw came later, when he hit wide receiver Tim Patrick in stride down the left sideline for a 45-yard gain in a seven-on-seven period, drawing one of the loudest ovations of the morning.

... Zach Kerr continued the trend of defensive linemen batting down passes at the line of scrimmage, tipping a Rypien attempt to Trinity Benson at the line of scrimmage during the first team period of practice.

... Cornerback Horace Richardson intercepted a Hogan pass during the seven-on-seven red-zone period, picking off an end-zone attempt to Noah Fant. ... Trey Johnson provided the second interception of the day, picking off a Drew Lock pass intended for Steven Dunbar Jr. near the end of practice. DaeSean Hamilton misses practice, Bug Howard suffers ankle injury By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2019

Tight end Bug Howard was carted off the field Thursday after suffering an injury during red-zone drills.

“Howard hurt his ankle there,” Head Coach Vic Fangio said after practice. “I think it’s just a sprain at this point, but not sure.”

Fangio said tackle Jake Rodgers suffered a “little bit of a calf injury” during Thursday’s practice. Rodgers exited practice, as well.

Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton missed Thursday’s session after suffering a hamstring injury during Wednesday’s practice.

“[The injury is] not as bad as it could have been,” Fangio said. “He woke up feeling better today. [I'm] encouraged that it will be short rather than long, but you know how those hamstrings can go.”

Tight end Jake Butt missed his fourth consecutive practice, while linebacker Todd Davis and wide receiver River Cracraft also remained out.

Rookie wide receiver Juwann Winfree, though, returned to practice after missing Monday and Wednesday.

“I didn’t watch him, but I didn’t hear otherwise,” Fangio said when asked if Winfree looked better. “I would’ve heard if it wasn’t going good.”

Broncos Training Camp Observations: A series that can’t be ignored By Zac Stevens BSN Denver July 26, 2019

As of Thursday’s practice, the Broncos have been on the training-camp grind for a full week.

As a majority of the league begins their respective camps on Thursday, the Broncos are already in mid- season form. Well, roughly half the team, that is, and Thursday’s practice shed light on that better than ever.

As always, BSN Denver was on hand for the near-three-hour practice. Here’s what went down.

BEAT BY WHO?! It’s one thing to be beat by Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Chris Harris Jr. and Co., as the Broncos’ offense has been time-and-time again through the first week of camp.

But it’s a whole other animal when the backups look like the starters. That’s what it looked like on Thursday.

When the first-team offense went up against the backup defense, it was difficult to tell that it wasn’t the starting defense that was on the field.

In two different series, Flacco and Co. got to face the backup squad. Success was hard to come by.

On the very first play of the first series, Courtland Sutton was wide open on a deep post. Blazing at full speed as he crossed the middle of the field from right to left, there wasn’t a defender in sight. Flacco loaded up and launched the ball 50-yards downfield.

But with a bit of pressure coming his way, he launched it too far, overthrowing what would have been an easy, easy touchdown.

The next play it was more of the same as Flacco and Sutton were yards apart on a deep out on the left sideline. Flacco found Tim Patrick on the next play in the middle of the field for a gain of 10 yards.

In the next series, against the backups still, there was a small amount of progress. But not on the first play.

The backup front seven collapsed the pocket, likely resulting in a sack, but since the play wasn’t blown dead Flacco was forced to intentionally sail it out of bounds.

The next two plays were positive, both short completions in the right flat, the first to Phillip Lindsay and the second to Kelvin McKnight.

Of all of the concerns surrounding the offense through the first week of camp, this could very well be the scariest as backups were able to hold the offense in check. There were at least two sacks on the day by the starting unit with Chris Harris Jr. flying off the edge untouched for one of them. Additionally, Justin Simmons had an interception fly right through hands near the end of practice off Flacco’s arm. Garett Bolles and Austin Fort also provided false starts for the unit.

There were a few positive plays on the day from the offense, going up against the first-string defense, too.

Flacco connected with Sutton on a deep out roughly 20 yards downfield with Isaac Yiadom in tight coverage. No. 14 displayed nice footwork, getting both feet on bounds.

After faking the handoff, Flacco wound up and connected with Fort 30-plus yards down the left hash. The rookie tight end was off to the races, potentially reaching the end zone in a game.

Outside of those two plays, all of the positive plays were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage—an aspect that hasn’t changed through the first week of camp.

OH SNAP! Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven. Nope, that’s not the number of rings Joe Flacco declared he was going to win as a member of the Broncos after practice.

It’s the growing, and ever concerning, number of bad snaps from Connor McGovern in a seven-day stretch.

“I’ve noticed it. There are too many right now and obviously that’s something that’s got to get cleaned up,” Fangio said without hesitation. “Some of those we’ve had today—not today, this camp—have been the quarterback’s fault. The ball’s right there and they’re taking their eyes off it too quick and they’re not catching it. It hasn’t all been the center’s fault.”

But on Thursday, it was the center’s fault. The first poor snap was nearly as bad as it could be.

With Flacco in shotgun, McGovern’s snap came in uncatchable at his feet and to the left. With Chubb jumping the snap from the left side, he would have been the first player to the ball, easily scooping and scoring it for six.

Later in practice, another dud snap immediately had the play blown dead with Flacco clearly showing his frustration.

This hasn’t just been an issue through the first week of camp. McGovern not only struggled to hit Flacco in the numbers consistently throughout the entire offseason program, but he had many poor snaps the second half of last season when he replaced Matt Paradis after his injury.

“It’s the most basic fundamental there is. If we can’t get that, it doesn’t matter what play we call,” Fangio said, shooting it straight. “That obviously has to be perfect soon.”

UNSUSPECTING BACKERS Another day, another linebacker.

For a second day, since Todd Davis has been sidelined with a calf injury, undrafted rookie Josh Watson got the call to play alongside Josey Jewell.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker held his own, too. Looking like Brandon Marshall repping 54, Watson looked comfortable in coverage and plugged holes in the run game.

The Colorado State product also got in Flacco’s face as he came on a delayed blitz, forcing the veteran quarterback to get rid of the ball quickly. The pass was incomplete.

Another rookie linebacker that mildly surprised on Thursday was fifth-round pick Justin Hollins.

Hollins didn’t surprise with his play per se, but by where he was playing. All of the talk surrounding No. 52 for months has been how he will transition to playing inside linebacker along with his natural position of outside backer.

But on Thursday, the 6-foot-5, 248-pounder lined up at his natural position on the edge and showed why he was primarily on the outside in college.

Lined up on the outside shoulder of the left tackle, Hollins shot out of a cannon at the snap, turned the corner and was in Drew Lock’s lap before No. 3 had time to think. Sack. Hollins was there in an instant.

ADDITIONAL TIDBITS Drew Lock’s “getting better,” according to Fangio, but he also joked “he’s not a union NFL quarterback yet.”

Kareem Jackson will stay at safety for the first two weeks of camp before getting work in at nickel and corner. The reason, according to Fangio, is Jackson has played the least amount throughout his career at safety. Fangio added that Jackson can play corner “in an emergency.” It would be safe to not count of Jackson playing too much corner this year if everyone stays healthy.

After being the unquestioned fourth-string quarterback for the beginning of camp, Brett Rypien has been getting more and more action with the top units, including some with the second team on Thursday. Rypien sees the field very well, unafraid to progress through his reads in the pocket.

Juwann Winfree was back at practice on Thursday after missing the past two practices.

DaeSean Hamilton missed his first practice of camp after being held out of half of Wednesday’s practice after tweaking his hamstring.

After practice, Fangio said the injury is “not as bad as [it] could have been,” adding, “He woke up feeling better today. Encouraged that it will be short rather than long, but how those hamstrings can go.”

Jake Butt (knee), Todd Davis (calf) and River Cracraft (oblique) also missed Thursday’s practice as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.

Tight end Bug Howard was carted off practice with an ankle injury that Fangio said could be a sprain. Offensive lineman Jake Rodgers left practice with a calf injury.

Where is the Courtland Sutton jump ball? The answer could provide clarity on the offensive struggles By Ryan Koenigsberg BSN Denver July 26, 2019

Remember Training Camp 2018? Or as some may call it, the Courtland Sutton show?

Every. Single. Day. Sutton was eating somebody’s lunch on the field. From Tramaine Brock to Chris Harris Jr. and, most of all, Bradley Roby, the rookie receiver was making more posters than a kid with a lost dog.

All the big plays had the hype train rolling at out-of-control speeds, but when the season started, Sutton didn’t live up to the high expectations.

Sure, there were big plays out there, and in the end, he finished the season with numbers that were very solid for a rookie, but the guy who dominated camp on a daily basis wasn’t out there.

Additionally, when injuries thrust Sutton into the No. 1 receiver role, he was nowhere to be found.

When we came into camp, the hope that Sutton would bring back the acrobatic catches from last year in addition to a complete route tree.

Through seven practices, though, Sutton has caught a grand total of zero jump balls. Not one. In fact, he’s only had one opportunity, and that ball was thrown out of the back of the endzone.

What’s up with that?

“I think practice is structured a little bit different,” Sutton said on Wednesday afternoon. “Different head coach. Coach Fangio is attacking practice in a different way… Right now, coach knows that’s something that I have in my arsenal. It’s like, ‘Why keep beating that horse? Add something to the game; don’t just be a one-trick pony.’ That was something I did a lot last camp. But that was last camp. We’re moving onto this year and being able to bring new things into the game, so it’s not just being a one-trick pony.”

You always know a player is listening to his coach when they both use the exact same phrase.

“A common mistake players and coaches can make is just keep practicing what a guy does well,” Fangio said of why they arent feeding Sutton a healthy diet of jump balls. “You have to keep what you do well oiled up and always ready to go, but you have to become more of a complete player, you don’t want to be a one-trick pony. We’re trying to get him to expand his route tree, expand how he’s getting the ball and see if we can improve him in that way.”

Whadya know, another Vic Fangio idea that makes a whole lot of sense. With Emmanuel Sanders on the sideline, the Broncos are forcing Sutton to make plays in the middle of the field, not just up in the air and on the sideline.

“I appreciate Coach Rich [Scangarello] giving me those opportunities to go out there and fine-tune my craft,” Sutton said. “To be able to show that I can run all those intermediate routes and get those first downs, keep the chains moving. Without it just being a deep post, deep go, or something like that.”

So far, while it hasn’t been perfect, Sutton has made quite a few more plays in those intermediate areas.

But this strategy from Vic Fangio brings up an interesting question—is a focus on tuning up players weaknesses one of the reasons that the Broncos offense is struggling so much?

On top of the lack of jump balls for Sutton, since Day 1 of camp, we’ve barely seen any designed outside runs for Phillip Lindsay, and while some of it has to do with the offensive line, we’ve yet to see Flacco really air it out at all.

What we know is that the Broncos offense will be at it’s best when all those things are involved, but maybe, in the end, they’ll be better off for the early camp struggles when their dull edges were sharpened up.

As Fangio said, though, they’ll eventually have to oil up those strengths. It will be interesting to see at what point in camp they unleash the full arsenal.

Broncos Stadium to host open practice Saturday: What you need to know By Staff 104.3 The Fan July 26, 2019

For the first time in half a decade, the Denver Broncos will bring training camp to the masses.

Broncos Stadium at Mile High will host a free, public practice on Saturday between 2:15 and 4:15 p.m., though fans will have plenty of activities to occupy their time beforehand.

Here’s what Broncos Country needs to know:

Tickets/Parking/Security

» While the event is free and open to the public, fans will be required to secure mobile tickets ahead of the practice via Ticketmaster

• All seating will be general admission

-Limited stadium parking will be available for $10

• Parking lots will open at 10:15 a.m. and gates will open at 12:15 p.m.

-Security will be the same as regular game days, including the NFL’s clear bag policy

Non-Practice Activities

-Miles the Mascot will be celebrating his birthday with free Miles visors for the first 1,000 kids aged 12 and younger

-There will be a Kids Zone featuring inflatables and junior training camp football drills

-Face painters will be on-site

-Players will be available after the practice for autographs

For more information, head to DenverBroncos.com/NFL/TrainingCamp.

The Broncos are not ready to make the playoffs this season By Kevin Kissner 104.3 The Fan July 26, 2019

Since Super Bowl 50, the Broncos have gone three straight seasons without making the playoffs. It’s safe to say they might make it four seasons in 2019.

Since 2016, there have been 20 head coaching hires and only seven of those head coaches lead their teams to the playoffs. Not only will Denver have a first-time head coach Vic Fangio this year, but also a first-time play caller on offense, as well, in Rich Scangarello.

This seems like the same situation the Broncos had in 2017 with Vance Joseph and Joe Woods. That year, they were breaking in a new head coach and a new defensive coordinator.

The Broncos are expected to play against a total of 10 Pro Bowl quarterbacks this season, which puts a lot of pressure on this hopeful Denver defense under Fangio. The most-exciting part of this team is the pass- rushing duo of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, but where is the depth behind those two? If the Broncos are going to make the playoffs, they better be able to get after the quarterbacks in the division that are able to be MVP candidates every season.

Don’t forget that the middle linebacker position is a strength for Fangio, but the Broncos haven’t been strong in the area of the field since the combination of Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan in 2015. And stopping the run, which relies heavily on this position playing well, has been a trouble spot for the Broncos in recent years.

The offense remains a big question mark this season with Joe Flacco leading the way. Flacco’s last great season was in 2014 under offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak in which he threw for a career-high 27 touchdowns. The 6-foot-6 quarterback also has yet to see live game action since injuring his hip midway through last season that would lead to Lamar Jackson finishing the season as a rookie.

How is the offensive line going to play together? Garett Bolles has yet to play like a first-round draft pick, Connor McGovern has had issues snapping the ball to Flacco during the first week of training camp and Ronald Leary is coming off a torn Achilles in 2018. There have also been rumblings that second-round pick Dalton Risner has picked up the playbook faster than any of the other offensive lineman thus far.

The top two offensive weapons for the Denver offense last season are coming off season-ending injuries last season in Emmanuel Sanders and Phillip Lindsay. These are players that the Broncos have to lean on for this offense to be successful if they want to be playing in late January.

We have yet to see a No. 2 wide receiver emerge out of the pack so far in camp. Courtland Sutton’s numbers went down in the final four games last season when Sanders went down with an Achilles injury. Sutton had only 14 receptions for 146 yards and only one touchdown finishing out the season.

DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick will be fighting for that number two spot, as well. The Broncos are still trying to find production from their tight ends since Julius Thomas left after having 24 touchdowns in two seasons. Noah Fant could be the answer, but not in his rookie season.

Since 2000, first-round tight ends are averaging only 336.5 yards per season and 2.36 touchdowns. Joe Flacco does like throwing to tight ends, but not rookie tight ends. Flacco has never had a rookie tight end go for more than 300 yards in that first season and only one caught more than 30 passes.

This Broncos team has a ceiling of an 8-8 record in 2019; they simply have too many questions to answer. But the 2020 season will be one for Broncos fans to be excited for; that’s when playoff talk will make more sense.

Is Devontae Booker a lock for the Broncos 53-man roster? By Cecil Lammey 104.3 The Fan July 26, 2019

The Broncos are going to be a run-heavy team in 2019. That means they’re going to need a deep and talented running back corps. They certainly have a ton of talent at the top with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, but what about the players behind them?

Devontae Booker is the next back up, but this once favorite of the former coaching staff is going to get pushed for his spot on the roster in training camp. A crop of young backs are showing flashes.

Is Booker a lock for the 53-man roster? Let’s examine his prospects.

***

Unfulfilled Promise

The Broncos drafted Booker in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft to replace then-starter C.J. Anderson. Booker made some headlines before training camp as a rookie when he stated that he was not there to carry pads but to take someone’s job. Anderson was unfazed by the rookie’s statement, but it certainly put him under the spotlight as a rookie who was supposed to be a fine running back.

Instead of taking Anderson’s job, Booker played primarily as a backup until the team lost Anderson to a knee injury after seven games. Booker then was in position to take over as the starter and he did – but he did not impress.

The rookie was later replaced as the starter by veteran addition Justin Forsett and Booker finished his 2016 season with 612 yards rushing and only 3.5 yards per carry. After that season, Booker missed some time due to injury and never got another opportunity to start.

He was supposed to be better than this, but Booker has disappointed as a running back. Booker had the former coaching staff on his side, as he was a favorite of former head coach Vance Joseph. That’s not the case now with Vic Fangio in charge. Booker has lost his biggest supporter on the staff and will have to work hard to make a positive impression on the new staff.

***

Receiving Threat

While Booker struggles as a runner, he can stand out as a receiver out of the backfield. During the last three seasons, Booker has caught at least 30 passes each year. While he struggles as a runner, Booker has made plays as a receiver out of the backfield.

He has natural hands and I would describe his receiving ability as excellent. Booker is an excellent option when the quarterback needs to find a relief-valve receiver under pressure. He does a good job of plucking passes out of the air and quickly brings the ball into his frame as to not get careless with the ball’s security.

Booker is a swift player who is tough to bring down when he gets a head of steam – and we’ve even seen him leap over defenders after making a catch on a swing pass. While he is not a player to trust as a runner, Booker is arguably the best receiving back on the Broncos roster.

Booker is a big back, but he does not work well when having to make quick decisions in a zone-blocking system. He is a “power gap” runner, meaning he will follow a blocking path and can hit the hole hard when he knows where to go. Booker struggles when faced with the decisions a back must contend with when choosing where to go in a zone system.

A back must decide whether to “bend, bang or bounce” in the system the Broncos are implementing this year under Rich Scangarello. That’s just a poor fit for Booker and something that could cost him a spot on the final roster.

***

Cheaper Options

Booker is in the final year of his rookie contract and has a cap hit around $850,000 this season. There is only $95,000 left in dead money on his deal. That’s not a huge number to spend on a 27-year-old running back, but the Broncos could go cheaper (and younger) with a couple of the young backs behind him.

Khalfani Muhammad is likely next on the depth chart behind Booker and he’s the biggest threat to take over as the Broncos No. 3 running back. Muhammad was a seventh-round pick for the Titans in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Coming out of Cal, Muhammad was known for his agility and quickness in the open field – plus his legitimate sprinter’s speed. Muhammad is certainly fast, but he’s a much smaller back than Booker. While Booker checks in around 219 pounds, Muhammad is listed at 175 pounds. Muhammad is much faster and more adept at running between the tackles, despite his size. If he proves himself in pass protection, then perhaps the team could keep him over Booker.

Devontae Jackson was one of my favorite undrafted free agents that the Broncos picked up this offseason. Coming out of West Georgia, Jackson was fun to watch on film because he is a big play waiting to happen any time he touches the ball. Like Muhammad, Jackson is a smaller back at 175 pounds.

While Muhammad does a good job of running inside, Jackson has a tendency to want to break every run to the outside as soon as he touches the ball. Jackson needs to show better discipline when pressing the hole inside. However, he does a good job as a return man and might find a way onto the final roster due to his special teams ability – perhaps at the cost of Booker’s spot on the roster.

***

Summary

The Broncos backup running back position is wide open only a few days into training camp. Booker is working as the No. 3 running back, but not exclusively.

His best work for the Broncos has come as a receiver out of the backfield and that’s once again the case in camp. Booker is showing well as a receiving back, but that might not be enough to keep him on the roster. It’s especially going to be difficult for him now because he’s no longer a favorite of the coaching staff. These new coaches likely don’t dislike Booker, but they are not tied to him or intrigued by him the way the last staff was.

Muhammad is a better runner than Booker and he’s a good receiver, too. He’s not an excellent receiver like Booker, but it’s not like Muhammad is a liability as a pass catcher. Jackson is not as good of a runner as Muhammad, but his ability as a return man is better than any other back he’s competing with.

Booker has not performed up to expectations and might be running out of time in his Broncos career. If the other backs on the roster look better in camp and the preseason, then Booker could find himself looking for work in the near future.

Former CSUP Thunderwolf looks to make Broncos 53- man roster By Julia McGuire KDVR July 26, 2019

Deyon Sizer has a chance to realize a childhood dream. The former CSUP Thunderwolf is now a defensive lineman for the Denver Broncos looking to make the 53-man roster.

“It would be a dream come true,” Sizer said after Thursday’s practice at the UCHealth Training Center. “That’s what I’m working for right now. That’s everybody’s dream to be on the 53-man roster, and I’m focused on grinding out, getting better.”

He’s an undrafted rookie, an Aurora native, a Colorado kid through and through. He was an All-RMAC first team selection his last two seasons at CSU-Pueblo, and grew up a Denver Broncos fan.

“I used to come to the practices and watch them. Being on the other side of the line, the feeling is indescribable. It truly is,” he said. “I used to watch guys like [Derek] Wolfe and Von Miller, and to call them teammates now is indescribable. That’s the only word I can use right now.”

Sizer finished his senior season at CSU-Pueblo with 5.5 sacks to rank fourth on the team. He finished the year with 56 tackles and performed well enough to earn an invite to the Cleveland Browns rookie mini camp. Shortly after the workout in Cleveland, Sizer found his fit in Denver.

“You’ve got to respect him,” Broncos nose tackle Shelby Harris said. “He was a tryout kid and made it, so they see potential in him. He’s not a bad player. It’s just the change in the level of competition. At first you have to understand the change of speed, but he’s getting it just as quickly as all the other rookies, so mad respect for all that, but he’s definitely going out there and proving himself.”

With the chance to play for his hometown team, Sizer isn’t letting the dream slip away.

“My motto to me has just been give everything I can at every rep,” he said. “At the end of the day, I can look myself in the mirror and say I did everything I could.”

Top 100 Players of 2019, Nos. 61-70: Lindsay, Conner land on list By Logan Reardon NFL.com July 26, 2019

70 T.Y. Hilton WR Colts 2018: N/A

People don't talk about T.Y. Hilton enough. He's ninth among active players in career receiving yards, behind guys like Antonio Brown and Julio Jones but ahead of DeAndre Hopkins and Alshon Jeffery. Hilton isn't mentioned much with those names, perhaps because he's played in the shadow of Andrew Luck, and the Colts have missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. Regardless, Hilton has tallied more than 850 receiving yards in each of his seven seasons, topping 1,000 five times. T.Y. is one of the most reliable and consistent receivers in the NFL, so this seems like a fair range to throw him in.

69 Matt Ryan QB Falcons 2018: 29

How did Matt Ryan drop 40 spots in the Top 100? In 2017, he threw for 4,095 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and was ranked No. 29. In 2018, he threw for 4,924 yards, 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions and is ranked No. 69. Ryan's 2018 season was sneakily almost equivalent to his record- setting 2016 MVP season. The difference was the Falcons got off to a slow start last year, lost five straight in the middle of the season and failed to make the postseason. Two years ago, Ryan had the Falcons one Julio Jones catch away from consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances, so players clearly factored in winning. That's why Ryan falls here, despite his statistical improvement.

68 Phillip Lindsay RB Broncos 2018: not in league

If you asked any non-Bronco if they knew who Phillip Lindsay was at this time last year and they said yes, they were lying. Lindsay was an undrafted rookie from the University of Colorado and bullied his way up the running back depth chart before becoming the starter midway through the season. In his eight starts, Lindsay scored seven touchdowns, including two in his breakout 157-yard game versus the Bengals in Week 13. More consistent quarterback play ( Joe Flacco vs. Case Keenum) and a better offensive line (Mike Munchak is the new o-line coach) would help Lindsay avoid a sophomore slump.

67 Dee Ford OLB 49ers 2018: N/A

Ford's 2018 season -- his last in Kansas City -- is going to be remembered for one play and one play only. If he lined up a few inches back, the Chiefs are Super Bowl bound and might have a Lombardi Trophy. That play overshadowed his otherwise dominant season. Ford had a career-high 13.0 sacks and 55 combined tackles and led the league with seven forced fumbles. He was one of the few bright spots on a Chiefs defense that struggled to stop anyone all year. In the offseason, Ford was traded to the 49ers and subsequently signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal. As you can see, lots of great things happened to Ford over the past year. If only he could have that one play back.

66 Eric Ebron TE Colts 2018: N/A

It's amazing how much playing with the right quarterback and coach can change the course of a career. Ebron was released by the Lions last March. He signed with the Colts, played one season and now he's looking like one of the league's top tight ends. Ebron led all tight ends with 13 touchdowns, two more than he had combined in the first four years of his career with Matthew Stafford and Jim Caldwell in Detroit. Ebron and Jack Doyle, coming back from kidney surgery, will team up to pair one of the NFL's best tight end duos in 2019.

65 Jason Pierre-Paul DE Buccaneers 2018: N/A

Here's an upset at No. 65. JPP hasn't been in the Top 100 since 2013, back when he was coming off back- to-back Pro Bowls and looked like one of the best young defensive ends in football. A lot has happened since then, and a car accident in May could keep him out for a significant portion of next season, so this could be the last appearance for JPP. He did have a bit of a renaissance in 2018, totaling 12.5 sacks, his most since 2014. Now 30 years old and with the severe neck injury from the accident, the clock is likely winding down for Pierre-Paul.

64 Amari Cooper WR Cowboys 2018: N/A

A ranking this high for Cooper seemed completely unrealistic when he was traded from Oakland to Dallas in October. He was averaging less than 50 receiving yards per game in the first six games of the season and looked destined for a second straight underwhelming year. The Cowboys looked foolish for surrendering a first-round pick to get Cooper, but he meshed perfectly with Dak Prescott. His Week 14 performance against division rival Philadelphia -- 10 catches, 217 yards, three touchdowns (including the overtime winner) -- cemented the trade as a major victory for Dallas. And at just 25 years old, Cooper fits right in with the Cowboys' young core.

63 Jadeveon Clowney OLB Texans 2018: 32

Injuries derailed Clowney early in his career, but he's been excellent over the past few years. Last year in particular was no doubt Clowney's finest work -- and it conveniently (wink wink) came during a contract year. His overall grade for PFF was 89.5, a huge increase from his previous career high of 77.8 in 2015. Clowney finished the year with 9.0 sacks, which is solid -- especially considering the Texans defense ranked 28th in passing defense. Houston's secondary didn't play up to the level that Clowney and J.J. Watt needed and that limited their upside. Both were still Pro Bowlers, but better secondary play would unlock a new level, especially for Clowney. He'll play on the franchise tag in 2019, so the sense of urgency to get a big pay day is still there.

62 James Conner RB Steelers 2018: N/A

Le'Veon who? Conner wasn't as good as the former disgruntled Steeler, but he was close. Compared to Bell's first season as a starter, Conner was actually better than Bell. He was 11th in rushing yards and tied for third in rushing touchdowns. The Steelers' offense, with Big Ben under center, has been able to plug pieces in and out with ease. Remember when 32-year-old DeAngelo Williams rushed for 900-plus yards and 11 scores in 2015 while Bell was suspended and then injured. Conner, 24, has the potential to be in the Top 100 for a long time. With Big Ben aging and Antonio Brown residing in Oakland, the Steelers could pivot to a more run-heavy offense.

61 Jaylon Smith MLB Cowboys 2018: N/A

This marks the second young Cowboys defender in the Top 100, as Smith and Leighton Vander Esch make up one of the league's top linebacking duos. Smith was a projected top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, but a torn ACL and a dubious diagnosis saw him fall to Dallas in the second round. Doctors wondered if he would ever play again, giving him a 50-50 chance of his career being over before it started. Since then, Smith's proven to be a steal. He was 14th in the league with 121 combined tackles in 2018 and, most importantly, he played 95 percent of possible snaps. His health is holding up, and if it continues that way, the Cowboys will remain one of the most dangerous young defenses in football.

AFC training camp battles to watch: Dolphins QB, Bills RB, more By Gregg Rosenthal NFL.com July 26, 2019

1) Miami Dolphins quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Josh Rosen.

Fitzpatrick reportedly played better than Rosen throughout the spring, which isn't a huge surprise. There's a reason why Fitzpatrick has thrown for over 29,000 yards in a career that began on Mike Martz's St. Louis Rams: Fitz can play! This is the only legitimate starting quarterback competition in the AFC and a close race doesn't necessarily go to the youngster. It's easier to imagine the Dolphins replacing Fitzpatrick as the starter after a few losses, once new Dolphins coach Brian Flores decides it's time to evaluate Rosen's potential to lead the team in 2020 and beyond.

2) Buffalo Bills running backs: LeSean McCoy vs. Frank Gore vs. T.J. Yeldon vs. Devin Singletary vs. Marcus Murphy vs. Senorise Perry.

McCoy could face a numbers crunch if everyone else at the position stays healthy, which usually doesn't happen in August. Murphy and Perry are listed here because of their special teams value, something that McCoy, Gore and Yeldon don't provide. It's possible Yeldon is the odd man out if he suffers a camp injury after earning only $500,000 guaranteed on his contract. Singletary is safe as a third-round rookie, and I don't want to live in a world where The Inconvenient Truth's career ends on cutdown day.

3) Denver Broncos running backs: Phillip Lindsay vs. Royce Freeman.

The very existence of this battle is disrespectful to Lindsay and shows how difficult it is to shake pre-draft evaluations. Lindsay was a Pro Bowl revelation as an undrafted rookie a season ago, but a late-season wrist injury combined with a new coaching staff, Freeman's superior size (240 pounds!) and his draft position as a 2018 third-rounder means that nothing will be handed to Lindsay. All signs point to a committee approach under new coordinator Rich Scangarello in an effort to keep both players fresh. "Scangs" has alluded to using the two backs similarly to how the Falcons used Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, so Lindsay will have to earn his playing time all over again. A healthy start to camp is aiding that effort.

4) New England Patriots wide receivers: N'Keal Harry vs. Phillip Dorsett vs. Demaryius Thomas vs. Dontrelle Inman vs. Braxton Berrios.

Bill Belichick's annual plan to throw receivers against the wall and see who sticks has fewer options this year. With Julian Edelman hurt to start camp, Harry and Dorsett look like the only safe options above to even make the roster. Thomas has to show he's healthy or risk getting cut, while the entire group should be ready to face increased competition via trade or the waiver wire.

5) New England Patriots running backs: Sony Michel vs. James White vs. Damien Harris vs. Rex Burkhead vs. Brandon Bolden.

This battle is mostly about how snaps will be divvied up among Patriots backs early in the season and whether Burkhead will make the team. Fullback James Develin and Bolden are good bets to make the squad because of special teams value, while the Patriots may as well induct James White into the Patriots Hall of Fame now. That leaves Burkhead fighting for his livelihood, while Harris and Michel compete for between-the-tackles carries. Michel's persistent knee troubles explain why the Patriots drafted Harris in the third round.

6) Kansas City Chiefs defensive end: Alex Okafor vs. Emmanuel Ogbah vs. Breeland Speaks vs. Tanoh Kpassagnon.

The Chiefs jettisoned star pass rushers Justin Houston and Dee Ford in anticipation of transitioning to new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's 4-3 scheme. Trade acquisition Frank Clark will hold one starting job, while general manager Brett Veach did an underrated job building quality depth throughout the position. Okafor and Ogbah are solid, if unspectacular, rotational ends. Kpassagnon and especially Speaks showed flashes of potential last year. If the Chiefs' defense is going to improve, this group will need to step up.

7) Pittsburgh Steelers No. 2 outside receiver: Donte Moncrief vs. James Washington vs. Diontae Johnson.

Moncrief was the subject of some offseason hype pieces because of his instant chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger. He's certainly shown more in his erratic career than Washington did as a rookie, while Johnson is a third-round newbie on a team that usually develops its players slowly. Meanwhile, Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer are poised to duke it out for snaps in the slot.

8) Denver Broncos tight end: Noah Fant vs. Jeff Heuerman vs. Jake Butt.

There's an assumption that Fant will step into the starting job as one of Joe Flacco's top receivers immediately, but his sluggish first week of camp has provided a reminder that it's rarely that easy for rookie tight ends. This battle is ultimately about Fant taking on expectations and showing he can mentally handle the myriad responsibilities of an every-down tight end.

9) Baltimore Ravens outside linebackers: Tim Williams vs. Jaylon Ferguson vs. Tyus Bowser vs. Shane Ray vs. Pernell McPhee.

Outside linebacker in Baltimore's system has a long tradition of getting guys paid, including Terrell Suggs throughout his 16-year Ravens career. Suggs' departure surprised the Ravens and the team failed in its bid to keep Za'Darius Smith from the Packers. That leaves Matt Judon as the only incumbent defensive coordinator Don Martindale can trust. Bowser (second-rounder) and Williams (third-rounder) have struggled to develop despite getting drafted pretty highly in 2017. New general manager Eric DeCosta took Ferguson in the third round of this year's draft, then took fliers on Ray and McPhee, who once used this position as a stepping stone to his own big free-agent contract elsewhere. The sheer quantity of options here is a sign that the position is in unfamiliar territory.

10) Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers: Marqise Lee vs. Dede Westbrook vs. Chris Conley vs. D.J. Chark vs. Keelan Cole vs. Terrelle Pryor.

I like this group more than most. There are a ton of ifs, but Westbrook's athleticism, Lee's savvy in the slot, Conley's toughness and Cole's big-play ability go together well. There's enough talent here to give Nick Foles a solid supporting cast, but the pecking order remains up for grabs.

Ten more battles to monitor 11) Baltimore Ravens wide receivers: Marquise Brown vs. Miles Boykin vs. Chris Moore vs. Jordan Lasley vs. Michael Floyd. Other than Willie Snead, what wideouts will be catching passes from Lamar Jackson? Brown's foot ailment only complicates matters.

12) Miami Dolphins offensive line. After left tackle Laremy Tunsil, the rest of this group is open-ended. That will only make life more difficult for the winner of position battle No. 1 listed above.

13) Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker: Quincy Williams vs. Ramik Wilson vs. Najee Goode. This is the battle that Telvin Smith's surprise absence has wrought.

14) Houston Texans offensive line. There are a lot of unknowns and players with position flexibility across the entire Texans offensive line, with virtually no starting jobs solidified heading into camp.

15) Houston Texans tight end: Jordan Thomas vs. Jordan Akins. They don't have big names, but this might be the most promising Texans tight end group in years. (That's an admittedly low bar.)

16) Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback: Jeff Driskel vs. Ryan Finley. Driskel is the heavy favorite here, especially after Finley inspired some rough practice reports in OTAs.

17) Oakland Raiders slot receiver: Hunter Renfrow vs. Ryan Grant vs. J.J. Nelson. Anyone playing between Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams will see some advantageous coverages.

18) Tennessee Titans No. 3 receiver: A.J. Brown vs. Taywan Taylor vs. Tajae Sharpe. Who'll claim the most snaps after Corey Davis and Adam Humphries? Can the hype bunnies of Titans training camp past hold off GM Jon Robinson's latest attempt to solve the longtime trouble spot?

19) New York Jets cornerback. Trumaine Johnson is paid too much not to have one starting job, but the rest of the depth chart looks as thin as any cornerback group in football.

20) Jacksonville Jaguars backup quarterback: Gardner Minshew vs. Alex McGough. The possibility of a Nick Foles injury should keep the Jaguars front office up at night.

Vic Fangio wants his players to refrain from fighting By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk July 26, 2019

With the return of training camp comes the inevitable annual collection of clips of players fighting with each other. Expect none of those images to come from Denver.

New coach Vic Fangio, whose old-school, no-music-at-practice vibe would suggest he doesn’t mind a little pushing and showing or punching and kicking, has made it clear to his team: No fighting.

“We talked about it,” Fangio told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t like it. There’s no need for it. We need to refrain from that and we’ve talked about it.”

Plenty coaches realize that, beyond the obvious connection between losing one’s cool in practice and losing one’s cool in a game, a training-camp fight presents an unnecessary injury risk to all involved — from the guy dumb enough to throw a fist at a helmet to the guy who gets punched by someone smart enough to not aim at his helmet. The real challenge becomes getting the players to abide by those wishes, and to have swift and significant justice ready to be implemented if they fail.